Dragon At Hogwarts: First Year
by Rune Triphesas
Summary: A dragon goes to Hogwarts to serve as a guardian for Harry Potter.
1. Ten Years Ago

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.  I DO own Ragnarok, and all the other dragons, the drakes (won't appear for a while) and…I think that's it.

Well, on to the fic!

"Shards! I can't take this anymore!!" That was me, Ragnarok, a platinum dragon.  (A/N: think FF9 Bahamut and you get the general idea.  All the dragons look similar to that) "Why wont the Conclave let me go and help the humans!?  I could take that guy down without the humans even suspecting anything!"

            "Hey Ragnarok, calm down already! I'm sure that they have their reasons.  Besides, Voldemort is too powerful for you to take down without suspicion.  If he just goes "poof" for no reason, people will wonder about it for ages!  Besides, it would probably be a bad idea to let the humans know that we exist just now."  That was Nightshade, a black dragon, and a clutchmate of mine.

            "You do know that Shade is right Ragnarok. We just can't afford to be known about now.  The humans would probably swarm all over this place if they knew." That was Amon, a red dragon and one of my best friends.  He's about 10 years older than I am, but considering that we live to be 2000 years old or more, that really isn't saying much.  

            "Yeah…I guess so, but after eleven years, I really wish that I could DO SOMETHING!!!!" I roared. "I can't stand being here unable to do anything, while there is so much chaos outside!"

            No sooner had I said that, when I noticed Leria (a red dragon and a bit younger than I am) in the air a little ways off, and she was headed toward us as fast as she could go.

            "Looks like she's excited about something." I muttered.  Then, louder, "I think we should wait for Leria you guys." I said, pointing toward her.

They looked up, and saw her flying toward us, and agreed that we should wait.  When she was about a quarter mile away, she adjusted her flight and dove toward us, and a few seconds later she landed in front of us.

            "RAGNAROK, YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT JUST HAPPENED!!!!"

            "What? Those fools in the Conclave finally decided to let me destroy Voldemort?" I asked hopefully.

            "The thing is, YOU WON'T HAVE TO!"

            "WHAT!? What happened!?" I demanded.

            "A few hours ago, Voldemort just disappeared.  The Conclave was tracking his power, and it flared for an instant and just vanished.  The only way that that could have happened is if he died!" She said.

            "Tell me where this was Leria."

            She told me, and as soon as she finished I was in the air and going as fast as my wings would take me.

            "Wait up Ragnarok!" Nightshade called, and I slowed just enough for him to catch up.

            "What is it 'Shade?"

            "Where do you think you're going?"

            "Where do you think I'm going!?" I retorted, and shot off leaving him behind.

            After I reached the site of where Leria said Voldemort disappeared, the first thing that I noticed was that there was a flying ….motorcycle I think the human word was leaving as fast as it could, and I decided to follow it.

            It landed a couple hours later, and I flew into an alley, and hid myself behind a wall just close enough to hear the rider talking to an old man and a rather stern looking lady.

            "Hagrid.  At last.  And where did you get that motorcycle?" asked the old man.

            "Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir.  Young Sirus Black lent it to me.  I've got him sir." Hagrid said climbing off the motorcycle.  I noticed he was carrying a bundle of blankets, and realized that there was a baby in them.

            "No problems were there?"

            "No sir.  House was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around.  He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol."

            Dumbledore and the lady bent over and looked at the baby in the blankets.

            A gust of wind made it impossible to hear what was being said, but it was clear that they were talking about the baby.  As the wind died down, I heard Dumbledore talking.

            "Scars can come in handy.  I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground.  Well – give him here, Hagrid – we'd better get this over with."

            Dumbledore took the baby from Hagrid and turned towards the house.

            "Could I – could I say goodbye to him sir?" Hagrid asked.  He bent over the baby and gave him a kiss, and let out a howl that sounded like something dying.

            I winced. Did he have to be so loud!?

            The lady must have said something to him, because the next thing I heard was Hagrid sobbing, and he pulled a cloth out and bagan sobbing into it.

            "S-s-sorry.  But I c-c-can't stand it – Lily an' James dead – an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles –"

            She must have said something, because it sounded like he was cut off.

            Dumbledore walked to the door of the house and put Harry down, and took out a letter and put it with him.  At this point I knew that I had to talk to Dumbledore, and so I made sure I was out of their line of sight and focused my energy.  A black sphere appeared around me, and I felt my body begin to change.  A few seconds later the sphere dissipated and I opened my eyes again.  Where the dragon once stood, there was a human.  Like this I was only about 6 feet tall, and my hair was short and had the same coloring as my scales.  My eyes also remained the same, and I had a black armor on.

            "Heh… its been a while since I took this form…." I muttered.  I then crept back to where they were, and saw Hagrid take off on the motorcycle.

            "I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," Dumbledore said nodding to her.

            Dumbledore turned toward where I was hiding, and walked down the street.  When he reached the corner, I stepped out.

            "Excuse me, you are Albus Dumbledore correct?" I asked.

            He looked at me and said, "Yes, I am."

            "Can you tell me what happened? Is Voldemort really gone? And if so, how?"

            "Yes," he said.  "Voldemort is gone.  As for how, no one knows, but he couldn't kill Harry Potter, and when he tried, his power broke."

            "Harry Potter…that's the baby there?"

            "Yes, as I'm sure you know."

            "Thank you." I said turning away.  Then I stopped and turned back. "You knew I was there?"

            My answer was a twinkle in his eye before he disappeared.

            I transformed back to my true form, and flew back home.  

            _We will probably never meet, but have a good life Harry Potter.  Was my last thought about it, and I thought that life would get back to normal very soon._

            Was I ever mistaken………….

            Ok, there's chapter one done, please leave a review and tell me what you think.  I want to know if I should continue with this or not.


	2. Stirrings

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in any way (wish I did cause then I would be RICH but that's beside the point).  I do own Ragnarok, all the other dragons, and the Drakes.

Before I forget again

"Text" is normal speech

_Text is Ragnarok thinking_

"_Text" is a drake or wild dragon talking_

            It has been about one full year since Voldemort died, and the human world is returning to normal.  Here, the difference between the times was almost unnoticeable anyway, so life is as it should be.  My only regret is that I didn't get the chance to rip Voldemort apart myself.  As for the boy, I have flown back there to check on him once or twice, and he doesn't seem to be doing too badly, and true to the oath I took after returning that night, I have not interfered in any human affairs since confirming Voldemort's death.

            I woke up as a beam of sunlight lanced into my cave and hit me squarely in the eye.  I yawned and made my way to the cave entrance, _I think it's about time I got something to eat I thought._

            _"Hungry…hungry…hungry!"_

            I sighed, one of the disadvantages of being one of the few who understand all of the various species of dragon is that I can also understand Fyre.  He's a Drake, about as long as a human's forearm not counting the tail, and the full length of an arm counting it, and maybe a foot longer if he stretches his neck out.  Most of the species resemble the stereotypical Western Dragon in everything except size.  Fyre is full-grown, and a flame-red in color (hence the name).

            "Fyre, just go and catch a rabbit or something.  You're getting lazy and I'm not going to keep hunting for you forever."

            He just looked at me and flew out of the cave.  _Hahaha__…crazy little guy… I thought opening my wings and flying out of the cave.  A few minutes later, I spotted a herd of goats down below, and grabbed one of the older ones, and ate it._

            When I finished, I flew over to a nearby river, and had a drink.  I noticed a brief movement out of the corner of my eye, and jerked to the side and stuck my tail out.  I then saw a familiar red shape go over my tail and into the river.

            "Leria?"

            "Hey!!! What was that for!?" she sputtered.

            "It's what you get for sneaking up on me Leria." I laughed helping her out of the river.

            "Well….anyway, Shaeldar wanted to see both of us, and he told me to find you."

            "Is this another one of your jokes Leria?" I asked suspiciously.

            "No! I'm serious! He wants to see both of us!"

            I sighed, if this was for real, then there is no way that I would ignore a summons from the Leader of the Guard (and the most powerful warrior living right now).  Shaeldar is a platinum dragon, like I am, but he is well over three thousand years old, as compared to my five hundred and Leria's four hundred eighty.

"Alright, lets go."

            We took off and flew to the Spire, tall structure which is in the middle of the island that we live on.  It holds the Conclave (the 5 dragons who rule), and it also holds the training grounds.

            When we landed at the entrance, a black dragon greeted us and took us to see Shaeldar.

            "Ragnarok, Leria, I have grave news for the two of you," He started.  "I have just received a report saying that Voldemort did not die one year ago.

            "But, sir, that's not possible!  I went there and was told that he was dead!" I blurted out.

            "True as that may be, the conclave just told me that they can sense a dark presence, and that they feel that it is exactly the same as what they felt off of Voldemort.  However, he is very weak, so they cannot get an exact location.  The two of you have the greatest magical potential out of all the others in your group, and since you both requested the chance to deal with Voldemort over the years, I felt it would be best to give you the chance.  When Voldemort is stronger, his first target will probably be the boy who defeated him in the first place, so one of you will be trained to protect the boy."

            I stepped forward, "I'll do it sir.  I have talked to Dumbledore in the past, and if Harry Potter becomes a wizard, Dumbledore is the headmaster of the school to which he will go."

            "And you also want a chance to get your claws into Voldemort this time?" Shaeldar asked.

            "Errrrrr….yes sir…."

            "The two of you were never told why we wouldn't let you go and put a stop to him when you asked, were you?"

            "No sir."

            "No sir."

            "Two others went about four years before you first asked, and they just barely managed to get back here before they died.  It seems that Voldemort and his followers cursed them so badly and all at once that they managed to break the normal spell resistance that we have."

            "I will still do this sir," I said.

            "Very well then.  Ragnarok, you are dismissed.  Come back here tomorrow morning.  Leria, I want to talk to you so wait here."

            "Yes sir."

            "Yes sir."

            The same black dragon that showed us in then returned and I followed him out and flew off to my cave to think it all over and get some sleep.

Well, there's chapter two done, same as before, read and review.  


	3. Training Begins

Disclaimer:  I do not own Harry Potter.

            "You have already learned how to transform into a human correct?"   That was Shaeldar's greeting as I walked into the training hall the next day.

            "Yes, sir, I have.  The last time I used it was about one year ago."

            "Show me."

            "Yes, sir."  I focused my energy, and a black sphere of energy appeared around me.  I felt my wings and tail disappear as my body changed.  When the transformation was finished, the energy dissipated, and I stepped forward.  Unlike the last time I did this, where I still retained some of my draconic characteristics, this time I completed the transformation.  (Character description: roughly eleven years in age, black hair, and ice-blue eyes)

            "You already took into account how old the boy will be when you meet him again, and the transformation was flawless.  Good work."

            "Thank you sir." I said.  Honestly, I probably couldn't have said any more even if I wanted to.  From what I had heard about Shaeldar, he was incredibly hard to please, and complements of any kind were quire rare.

            "Have you thought about making a wand for yourself?" he asked.

            "Yes, sir, I have.  I thought that I should use one of my claws for the core, and maybe oak as well."

            "Hmmm….the claw sounds like a good idea, but I think that you should use Dragoni wood instead of oak."

            "Th-thank you sir!" I stammered.  Dragoni wood!?  That is one of the most powerfully magical plants in the world!  It only grows here on this island, and so is regarded as myth by most wizards, and is almost never used for things like this!

            "One more thing, stop calling me sir.  My name is enough as long as we are here.  If others are around, then and only then will you call me 'sir'."

            "Alright…Shaeldar."

            "Resume your true form, and come back tomorrow morning with the core ready."

            "Alright." I said.  I focused my energy again, and a few seconds later, I was back to my normal body.  I then left the room, and was shown to the exit.

            I then flew back to my cave, and set to work, first cutting the claw off, and then cutting it for the core.

            The next few years passed relatively uneventfully, with the only shock coming from Shaeldar teaching me the Elementals.  They are immensely powerful spells which enable the user to control the elements of fire, water, air, earth, and lightning over a limited area, and can be used to create literally thousands of effects.  We also spent the entire last year of my training working on the three Forbidden spells.  The first can inflict massive amounts of damage to large areas, the second can control the minds of others, and the most powerful of the three can rip a person's soul out of their body.  Both Shaeldar and I feel that those three should not be used unless there is no other choice, and that I should never let on that I can use them.  Of course, if something extreme were to happen, then it's comforting to know that I can use them.

Ok, same as before, read and review.


	4. Reflections

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

            It has been nine long years of training, and now they are finally over.  My training is complete, I have mastered all the spells that I need, and I will be able to start my mission soon.

            However, there is till one problem.  In order to get close enough to Harry Potter, I will have to be enrolled at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry during the time that he is there.  Before that can happen, we must end one of our oldest traditions-keeping ourselves separate from the rest of the world.  I have to go and talk to Dumbledore about letting me into the school, tell him about my mission, and let him know about Voldemort's return.  Dumbledore is a reasonable person, and so I'm sure that he will allow me in.

            Even after getting into the school, I will have to become friends with Harry Potter in order to protect him…Not that I think that anyone will be stupid enough to attack him at the school, but you can never be too sure.

Ok.  Sorry for the short chap, but I've been busy.  Same as before, read and review.


	5. Diagon Alley

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

            My meeting with Dumbledore last month went well.  He accepted my warnings about Voldemort's return, confirmed that Harry Potter would indeed be going to Hogwarts this year, and allowed me to enter the school as a student.  I have spent the last three weeks getting everything ready, and was in my room at "The Three Broomsticks," and was going over my supply list once more to make sure I had everything.

            Robes…got it…hat…got it…dragonhide gloves…got it…have dragonhide as well…hahaha…cloak…got it…books…got them…wand…made it myself… cauldron…got it…crystal phials…got them…telescope…got it…brass scales…got it.  I guess that's it.

            I then packed my trunk, and made sure that my two knives were inside their hidden compartments.  Like my wand, they were made from one of my claws, but I felt that having a non-magical weapon could be helpful if anything were to happen.

            By that time, it was around noon, and I decided to go for a short flight and check on Harry.

            I slowly made my way out of Diagon Alley.  _How can these people stand being so crowded!?  Nowhere that I have been has this many people in this little space.  When I finally made it out, I headed out of London, transformed, and flew to where Harry lived with his aunt and uncle.  As I flew over the city, I used an invisibility spell, and hid myself from view.  I soon reached his house, and I landed in front of the door and looked in.  Harry's Uncle had his back to me, so I couldn't hear what he was saying, but I could hear Harry just fine._

            "I need to be at King's Cross tomorrow to – to go to Hogwarts…  Would it be alright if you gave me a lift?"

            I guess he agreed, because Harry's next words were, "Thank you."

            His uncle turned around just as Harry was heading upstairs.  "Funny way to get to a wizards' school, the train.  Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?"

            I was liking the man less and less every time I stopped by.

            "Where is this school, anyway?"

            "I don't know." Harry said.  He then took his ticket out of his pocket, and read, "I just take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock."

            "Platform what?"

            "Nine and three-quarters."

            "Don't talk rubbish.  There is no platform nine and three-quarters."

            "It's on my ticket."

"Barking.  Howling mad, the lot of them.  You'll see.  All right, we'll take you to King's Cross.  We're going up to London anyway, or I wouldn't bother."

At this, I turned and flew back to London, transformed outside of the city and worked my way back to the Leaky Cauldron, got a drink, and went back to my room, and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening reading some of my school books.

Same procedure here, leave a review after you read.

Next chapter: The train


	6. The Train

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, but Ragnarok, Leria, all the other dragons, and the Drakes are mine!

            The next day, I woke up around 7:30, took my stuff and left Diagon Alley.  I then spent the next couple of hours getting to King's Cross.

            I got there just in time to see Harry talking to some witch, asking how to get through the barrier, and I followed immediately after they went through.

            "Platform nine and three-quarters…I swear…these wizards are crazy…at least the train looks normal…" I muttered.  "Now…where's Harry…?"

            I spotted him a bit further down the platform, getting some help with his trunk, and I headed down towards that compartment.  I reached it just in time to hear the twins realize who they had just helped.  I lifted my trunk up (hey, I may be in a human body, but I'm still a lot stronger than a normal human!), and pushed my trunk into a corner, making sure that they didn't realize how easily I could move the thing.

            Their mother – who I realized was the witch that Harry was talking to earlier – then called them outside, and I turned to face Harry, and almost burst out laughing.  He was quite red, and looking very embarrassed.

            "Don't worry about it.  Once they all get to know you it'll stop." I said, grinning.  "I'm Linden Rathan, nice to meet you."

            "Harry Potter."

            "Looking forward to going to Hogwarts?"

            "I sure am.  It's got to be better than living with the Dursleys."

            "Really?"

            "Yeah, my aunt and uncle are just horrible most of the time."

            He looked out the window, and watched the family that he was talking to earlier.

            After a few minutes, he turned to me again.  "Hey Linden?  Can I ask you something?"

            "Sure, go ahead."

            "Umm…when everyone else saw me, they all seemed stunned, and well…you…err…"

            "Why am I acting like there's nothing special about you?"

            "Errr…yes."

            "Well, I just thought that you seemed rather uncomfortable about how the twins reacted earlier, so I figured that it would be better if I just treated you like I would anyone else… unless you _like_ being stared at like an animal in a zoo."  I said, and grinned at his embarrassed expression.  "I didn't think so."

            Just then, the train whistle blew, and the train started to move, and a couple minutes later, a raid-haired boy walked in.

            "Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat next to mine.  "Everywhere else is full."

            "No.  Go ahead and sit down."

            "Hey, Ron."

            I glanced at the door, and noticed that the twins who were helping Harry earlier were back.

            "Listen, we're going down the middle of the train – Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."

            "Right," Ron mumbled.

            "Harry, did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley.  And this is Ron, our brother.  Oh, and who are you?"  I felt that last question directed at me.

            "Linden Rathan."

            "Oh, nice to meet you.  See you all later."

            "Bye," we chorused, and they left, closing the door behind them.

            "Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron blurted.

            I glanced over, and saw Harry nod.

            "Oh – well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes.  And have you really got – you know…" he said, indicating Harry's forehead, and Harry pulled his bangs back to show the scar.

            "So that's where You-Know-Who…?"

            "Yes, but I can't remember it."

            "Nothing?"

            "Well… I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else."

            I started.  _A lot of green light?__  As far as I know, only one spell that has that effect…and that much power…Avada Kedavra,__ the killing curse.  But how could he have survived that!?  Sure a single casting of that wouldn't kill me, but it would leave me unconscious for about half an hour…and Harry's no dragon…I wonder how he did it…_

"…and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort — 

            My head snapped around to look at Harry.  _He actually said it?  I thought that the wizards still fear even saying _the name!__

            "What?"

            _"You said You-Know Who's name!  I'd have thought that you, of all people…"_

            _Ok…so they still do fear the name… I thought, and turned my head and looked back out the window._

"I'm not trying to be _brave or anything, saying the name.  I just never knew you shouldn't.  see what I mean?  I've got loads to learn…  I betI'm the worst in the class."_

            "You won't be.  There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough."

            _Yeah, but how many students are dragons?  Hahahahaha…_

            "Hey, Linden."

            "Hm?"

            "What's your family like?"

            "Well, ummm… I'm the first to go to Hogwarts, and everyone was quite pleased when I got in."  Technically true, but there's no way that I'm going to tell them everything.  "I'm an only child, and my parents are pretty nice."  I shrugged.  "That's about it."

            I turned to look back outside, and just watched the fields go by.

            Around 12:30, a lady came by with a cart of food, and Harry and I went to buy some things.  He got some of everything, while I just picked up a few Cauldron Cakes and Pumpkin Pasties, and paid two sickles for them.

            "Hey Harry, think you got enough food?"  I asked jokingly as I walked back in.  

            Harry and Ron split Harry's food, and I just ate the things that I had bought and listened to them talk about the snacks.

            There was a knock on the door, and someone else walked in.

            "Sorry, but have you seen a toad at all?"

            We shook our heads, and he wailed, "I've lost him!  He keeps getting away from me!"

            "He'll turn up," Harry said.

            "Yes.  Well, if you see him…" he said miserably, and left.

            "Don't know why he's so bothered.  If I'd brought a toad, I'd lose it as quick as I could.  Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk."

            "Well, at least you _have_ a pet."

            _I couldn't even bring my "pet".  If I brought Fyre here he'd cause way_ too many problems.  Haha.__

"He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference." Ron said in disgust.  "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work.  I'll show you, look…"

            He went through his trunk, and pulled out a very battered wand.

            "Unicorn hair's nearly poking out.  Anyway —"  he was cut off by the compartment door sliding open, and the toadless boy and a girl walked in.  

            "Has anyone seen a toad?  Neville's lost one."

            "We told him that we hadn't when he came in here earlier."  I said.

            "Oh, are you doing magic?  Let's see it, then."

            "Er – all right."

            He cleared his throat.  "_Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow."  He waved his wand, but nothing happened.  The rat remained gray and asleep._

            "Are you sure that's a real spell?  Well, it's not very good, is it?  I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me.  Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard – I've learned all out course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough. – I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"  she said very fast.

            "Linden Rathan."

"I'm Ron Weasley."

            "Harry Potter."

            "Are you really?  I know all about you, of course – I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History, and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts, and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."

            "Am I?" Harry said dazedly.

            "Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me.  Do either of you know what house you'll be in?  I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Griffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad…. Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad.  You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."

            "Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it.  Stupid spell—George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."

            "He probably did.  Most spells sound much different from that.  Usually one or two words at the most, and certainly never that long," I said chuckling.  "He really got you with that one."  I yawned, and leaned back against my seat, and dozed off.

            I woke up suddenly as the door to the compartment opened again, and three boys walked in; two of them were heavyset, and were flanking a third boy.  He glanced at me, and then looked straight at Harry. 

            "Is it true?  They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment.  So it's you, is it?"

            "Yes."

            "Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle.  And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

            Ron coughed, trying to suppress a snigger, and only a huge effort stopped me from laughing outright.

            He looked at Ron.  "Think my name's funny, do you?  No need to ask who you are.  My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children then they can afford." He then turned back to Harry.  "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter.  You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort.  I can help you there." He said, extending a hand.

            "I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," Harry said.

            Malfoy (I refuse to call him Draco!) turned pink at that statement.  "I'd be careful if I were you, Potter.  Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents.  They didn't know what was good for them, either.  You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."

            All three of us shot to our feet at that.  "Say that again," Ron said.

            "Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?"  Malfoy sneered.

            "Unless you get out now."  Harry said.

            "But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys?  We've eaten all our food, and you still seem to have some."

            "That wasn't a request."

            Goyle reached for the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron, and I jumped forward intent on landing a punch in his gut, but stopped when he yelled in pain.

            Scabbers had sunk his teeth into Goyle's knuckle, and we all stared as he swung his arm around trying to dislodge him.  Scabbers soon released his hold, streaked by my head, and hit the window.  The three of them then left very quickly.

            A second later, Hermione burst into our compartment.  "What _has_ been going on?"  she said, looking at the mess.

            "I think he's been knocked out…No – I don't believe it – he's gone back to sleep."  Ron said, looking at Scabbers.  

            While they were talking, I turned to Hermione.  "Something for you?"

            "The conductor said that we're almost there, so you should hurry and put your robes on.  And you shouldn't have been fighting or you'll –"

            "Enough already…now would you mind leaving so we can change?"

            "Oh fine then…" she said leaving.

            I turned to the others.  "We should probably change now.  The train will reach Hogwarts pretty soon."

            We took off our jackets, and put on our robes, and I noticed that the train seemed to be slowing.

            A voice echoed through the train, "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time.  Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

            I was almost trembling with excitement.  The moment that I had been waiting for for all these years was finally here!  I then followed Ron and Harry out of the compartment and into the corridor.

            The train soon stopped, and we all walked out of the train.  I looked around, and saw a lamp come over the heads of the students.

            "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!  All right there, Harry?"

            I looked over, and there was Hagrid.  "C'mon, follow me – any more firs' years?  Mind yer step, now!  Firs' years follow me!"

            We all followed Hagrid down a steep narrow path, bordered by trees.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec.  Jus' round this bend here."

I whistled.  It was a massive castle, about the same size as the Spire back on Rykros.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called out, pointing to a fleet of small boats by the shore.  I got in one, along with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Everyone in?"  Hagrid shouted.  "Right then – FORWARD!"

The boats moved forward, and everyone was staring at the castle, which semed to grow bigger all the time.  _I might have been mistaken…I think this my just be slightly larger than the Spire…_

"Heads down!"  Hagrid yelled as the first boats reached the cliff face.  The boats passed into a tunnel, and soon reached an underground harbor, where we got off.

Hagrid found Neville's toad in one of the boats, and we went up the stairs, and emerged on the castle grounds, and then went up a flight of stone steps and waited in front of a huge, oak door.

            "Everyone here?  You there, still got your toad?"

            Hagrid raised his fist and knocked three times on the door.

Sorry it's so long, but it was either I make it this long or I cut it out the whole train thing entirely, and I didn't want to do that.


	7. Sorting

Grrrr…this is the LAST time I use my voice-rec software to write a fic…

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Ragnarok, Leria, Shaeldar, all the other dragons, the drakes, Linden, and Maurynna are mine!

The door swung open at once. A tall black-haired witch in emerald green robes stood there. It had been awhile since I had last seen her, but she was still easily recognizable. She was Professor McGonagall, and I had seen her the night that Voldemort—"He Who Must Not Be Named"—disappeared.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall itself was massive, easily larger than most of the human houses that I had seen so far. The ceiling was very high, and a large marble staircase led to the upper floors.

We followed Professor McGonagall across the stone floor. I could hear the sound of hundreds of voices from a doorway toward my right, but we were shown into a small, empty chamber off of the hall.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall said. "The start of term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of the house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

She looked around everyone, and her eyes lingered for moment on Neville's cloak, Ron's smudged nose, my eyes, and a girl standing nearby.

"I showed returned when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly." She said, and left.

I overheard Harry asking Ron about the Sorting Ceremony, but didn't really pay attention to it. When several people behind us screamed, I spun around, and my right hand darted into my robes, and grabbed hold of one of my knives. When I saw what had startled everyone, I immediately relaxed and released my grip on the knife.

The ghost of a fat little monk was saying, "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance—"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost – I say, what are you all doing here?"

We had been noticed by a ghost wearing a ruff and tights. Not surprisingly, no one answered.

"New students!" the Fat Friar said, smiling at everyone. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

A few people nodded, but still no one talked.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old house, you know," the Friar said.

"Move along now. The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." McGonagall said, walking back into the room. 

The ghosts floated through a wall, and probably into the Great Hall.

"Now form a line, and follow me."

We walked out of the chamber, across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

At this point, I almost stopped walking, because it was the largest room that I had seen, and was lit by thousands upon thousands of candles ever floating in midair, and hundreds of students were watching us.

Professor McGonagall placed a four-legged stool in front of us, and on top of it she placed a pointed wizard's hat. For a few seconds, there was silence, and then the hat twitched, and a rip near the brim opened wide and the hat began to sing.

_"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me.___

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat,_

_And I can top them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on, and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be.___

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin,_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends.___

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!"___

The whole burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you'll put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," She said. "Abbot, Hannah!"

A pink faced girl with blond pig pills stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell down over her eyes, and sat down.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The people on the right shouted and clapped, and she went to sit down at their table.

I stifled a yawn, and waited for Harry's turn to be Sorted.

"Granger, Hermione!"

She ran up to the stool, put the hat on, and…

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Kyrissaean, Maurynna!"

An Asian girl got up, and walked calmly to the stool. As she put the hat on, she looked straight at me, and winked.

Violet eyes? That's pretty strange for a human… I don't know why, but she seems familiar.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

She stood up, put the hat back down on the stool, and walked to the Gryffindor table. 

Neville on the other hand, fell over on his way to the stool, and when it said Gryffindor, he ran off still wearing it, and had to walk back and give it to the next student.

Malfoy got his wish, as the hat immediately sent him to Slytherin.

"Potter, Harry!"

As Harry stepped forward, whispers broke out all through the Great Hall.

"Potter, did she say?"

"The Harry Potter?"

Everyone in the Great Hall tried to get a look at him as he put the hat on.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

He got the loudest cheer out of anyone so far, and it seemed that the entire Gryffindor table was celebrating.

"Rathan, Linden!"

I walked forward, sat on the stool, and put on the hat.

"Now, where should I put you? There's plenty of courage, and a great mind, so…"

Must get into Gryffindor!

"Are you sure? Well then, you're in GRYFFINDOR!"

I sighed in relief as I took the hat off, and went to sit next to Harry. 

"Weasley, Ronald!"

Ron walked up, and put on the hat.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

He took it off, and walked up and sat across from me.

The Sorting was soon over, and Professor McGonagall rolled up the parchment and took it and the Sorting Hat away.

Dumbledore got to his feet, "Welcome! Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

What the…?

The dishes in front of us were now full of all kinds of food. I took large helpings of beef, steak, potatoes, and chicken. 

The ghost with the ruff and tights came up to us, talked to Harry for a minute, and introduced himself as Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington. 

"I know who you are! My brothers told me about you—you're Nearly Headless Nick!" Ron burst out.

"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy—"

"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?"

"Like this," he said, pulling on his left ear, and pulling his head over. Flipping it back, he said, "So—new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable—he's the Slytherin ghost.

The Bloody Baron was imposed with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood.

"How did he get covered in blood?" Seamus asked

"I've never asked."

Soon after, the remains of the food faded away, and the desserts appeared. I took a few things to try, and sat there eating, but I was also ignoring most of the conversations around me.

After the desserts faded away, Dumbledore got up again.

"Ahem – just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well. I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors."

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch."

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death,"

Is he serious? I wonder what's going on here. I don't think he'd joke about something like this…

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!"

Dumbledore flicked his wand, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, rose high into the air, and formed words.

"Everyone pick their favorite tune, and off we go!"

I started singing to a tune I had picked up on the Underground.

_"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_

_Teach us something please,_

_Whether we be old and bald_

_Or young with scabby knees,_

_Our heads could do with filling_

_With some interesting stuff_

_For now they're bare and full of air,_

_Dead flies and bits of fluff.___

_So teach us things worth knowing,_

_Bring back what we've forgot,_

_Just do your best, we'll do the rest_

_And learn until our brains all rot._

"Ah, music, a magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

All of us followed Percy through the crowds, out of the Great Hall, up the stairs, and after walking for a little while, Percy came to a stop.

A bundle of walking sticks were floating in midair ahead of us, and as Percy stepped forward, they began throwing themselves at him.

"Peeves," he whispered. "A poltergeist." He raised his voice, "Peeves--show yourself."

A loud sound like the air being let out of a baloon, answered.

"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"

There was a pop, and a little man with wicked eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air.

"Oooooooh!" Icke Firsties! What fun!" he said with a cackle.

He swooped down at us, and we all ducked.

"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" Percy barked.

Peeves stuck out his tongue, and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head.

"You want to watch out for Peeves. The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are," Percy said as we resumed walking.

We had reached the end of the corridor and were facing a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink dress

"Password?" she asked.

"Caput Draconis," Percy said, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. We climbed in, and found ourselves in the Gryffindor common room. Percy directed the girls through one door, and us through another. At the top of a staircase, we found our beds. I changed into my pajamas and went to sleep.

There's Chapter 7 up. I should have Chapter 8 up within two weeks


	8. The First Week

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.  Ragnarok, Leria, the other dragons, and the Drakes belong to me.

I was lying in bed thinking about the events of the past week.  _Lets__ see…what have I learned so far… Snape has it out for Harry, I should probably keep an eye on him… Quirrel is pathetic, I think that any of the first year students would do as well, if not better than he would against anything… never partner with Neville, at least not unless I want to see my stuff to be destroyed…Hagrid seems friendly enough…and Maurynna reminds me strongly of Leria…hmmm…I wonder…_

_*_flashback_*_

            I was sitting on a small ledge overlooking the lake, and I heard someone trying to sneak up on me.  When whoever it was was right behind me, I flipped over them and sprung off their back, and saw Maurynna go over the edge with a very startled look on her face.

            "Hey!  What was that for!?"

            Laughing, I helped her back up, and she gave me a glare that reminded me of Leria's whenever I did that to her.

*End flashback*

_Well…judging by the silence in the room, everyone else is asleep.  I got out of bed, and silently made my way out of the dorm.  When I made it to the common room, I heard someone come up behind me._

"Ragnarok, just where are you going?"

I spun around, and came face to face with Maurynna.  "Heh…I thought it was you Leria.  Even here you can't manage to get me wet...and I manage to give you a soaking."

            She whacked me, and said dryly, "You didn't answer my question Ragnarok…"

            "I'm going for a quick flight, care to join me?" I said, grinning.

            She sighed.  "Sure.  Someone has to keep an eye on you."

            I sighed.  "I'm not stupid enough to be seen Leria…Well…let's go then."

            Ten minutes later, we were at the Quidditch field, where we transformed and took to the air.

About an hour later, I climbed back into bed and fell asleep.

Sorry it's so short, but like I said, I've been having a bit of writers block, and I still have my finals to get ready for.  The next chapter will be longer though.


	9. Midnight Wanderings

Disclaimer:  I do not own Harry Potter.  Ragnarok, Leria, and everything else not found in the book are mine.  (Can you tell I'm getting tired of doing this?)

"Flying lessons?  Hey, Rynna, take a look at this." I found the notice rather amusing, considering that I have been flying for almost five hundred and ten years.

She walked over, and judging by the small grin that appeared on her face, she had the same thought that I did.  "Well, lessons are on Thursday, shall we go?"

"I think I'll just watch...I don't have any interest in riding those things."  (A/N: I assume that the flying lessons were optional, because in the book, it said (a) that Slytherin and Griffindor were learning together, (b) in the book, it said that there were 20 brooms out, and (c) I'll assume that there were waaay more than 20 first years in Griffindor and Slytherin combined; at least not unless Hogwarts only has at most 300 students)

So, at three thirty on Thursday, while most of the other Griffindor first years were out learning to fly, I was sitting in a nearby tree, watching them.  I heard the rustle of something moving through the leaves, but passed it off as a bird until I heard it say something.

"_HI!!!!"_

"Wha-?"  I fell off of the branch that I had been perched on, and just barely managed to grab onto a branch further down the tree.

I looked upward, and saw a head pop out from behind a branch.  "Fyre!?  What are you doing here!?"

He flew down to the branch I was on, and this time, I noticed that he was holding something in his foreclaws.  "Hm?  What's that?" he dropped a canister into my hands, and when I opened it, a crystal orb fell out.  _I know what this is...they made this one human-sized too...how considerate..._  "Hey Shade, something wrong?  Why'd you send Fyre over?"  The orb glowed for a second before showing a familiar face.

"Nothing.  Shaeldar wanted to send you that, so I volunteered Fyre to do it.  Besides...do you have any idea how hard it is to keep that little THING under control!?"

"Hahahaha...Yeah, I know he's a bit hard to control at times."

"Yeah....just a bit..." he said sarcastically.  "And if you don't mind....keep him with you.  If I have to put up with him any longer I'll go completely crazy."

"And just where am I supposed to leave him?  It's not like they have a cave around here or anything."

"I'm sure you'll think of something.  Just keep him away from me!  Oh, and before I forget, Shaeldar said he wanted to talk to you.  I think that's the only reason he let me send him off to you."  Shade's image faded from the orb, and I slipped it into a pocket.  Shaeldar can wait until nightfall.

 "So...Fyre, what am I going to do with you?" I said.

"_Stay?"_

I sighed.  "Fine...but if I catch you getting into any trouble, I will throw you into the lake.  Is that clear?"

He cringed and nodded vigorously, so I know I got my point across.

"Good.  Now...we need to find somewhere to keep you.  Stay right here.  I'll be back."  Trusting Leria to keep an eye on Harry, I jumped out of the tree and headed toward the Griffindor common rooms.  In the hall just before the portrait of the Fat Lady, I found a large griffon-head statue mounted on the wall and noted with some satisfaction that it was high enough and large enough to conceal Fyre.

Fifteen minutes later, I had gotten Fyre settled in his new perch, and headed back out.

When I made it back to my spot in the tree and looked at the class, I immediately noticed two things.  The first thing was that even though so much time had passed, it looked like the class was just getting started.  Second, Harry was nowhere to be seen.  I quickly looked through the crowd, and only relaxed again when I saw Leria there, because if something had happened to Harry, I'm sure she wouldn't still be there.  On the other hand, she looks a lot more stressed than normal.  Maybe something did happen.

"EXPELLED!?" I hissed.  "What do you mean expelled!?"  

"Well, I'm not entirely sure, but McGonagall looked especially angry, and Harry didn't return to the lesson."

"We'll find out soon enough I guess.  Dinner is pretty soon, and he'll probably tell us what happened."

"Quidditch?  You're going to be playing Quidditch?  But-"

"First Years' never get to play on the teams.  You must be the youngest player in about-" Ron cut me off, and was in turn cut off by Harry.

"A century.  I know."

_Oh, wait, that's right...I still have to contact Shaeldar...great, he's going to be ticked that I didn't do it sooner.  I grabbed a few slices of meat off the table, locked eyes with Leria for a moment, and headed for the common room.  As I passed by the statue, I looked around for anyone, and tossed the meat up to Fyre._

_"FOOD!"_

Laughing, I made my way into the common room, pulled the crystal out of my pocket, and contacted Shaeldar.

"Well, you sure took your time about it Ragnarok.  Nightshade said that you got it hours ago."

_ Yeah...hello to you too..."I'm sorry sir, but I got rather busy after talking to Shade."_

"I see...well, we have information for you that may directly impact your mission.  Voldemort's energy signature was detected in your general area.  Keep your eyes open, and make sure the boy remains safe."

"Right.  Is there anything else?"

"Not at the moment.  I'll let you know if anything else comes up."  The crystal went black, and I put it back in my pocket just as I heard the portrait open up and every one of the other Griffindors walked in.

I stepped back, and waited until Leria walked in.  She immediately walked over to where I was.

"News from home.  He may be somewhere in the area." I whispered

"What?  How do you know?"

In response, I pulled the orb out of my pocket for a moment.

"Oh."

"Yeah, I was just talking to Shaeldar, and he told me."

"Okay.  I'll keep an eye out for anything.  And you should keep an eye on Harry.  It seems that he's got a wizard's duel tonight."

"Let me guess.  Malfoy."

"Of course."

"I know I should probably try to talk about it, but seeing how he and Malfoy get along...I'd be wasting my breath.  I guess I'll just have to make sure he stays out of trouble myself."

And so, when I heard Harry and Ron get up and sneak off, I silently got up, and hid myself with a "Mihirahi sa Nahel", or Shroud of Darkness a spell which allows me to become, well, invisible would be the wrong word, so, almost invisible.  Anyone who looks at me, will only see a faint, shadowy figure. (Remember those elemental spells I mentioned?  This is a form that Shadow can take)

I left the room, I ended up following Harry, Ron and Hermione out of the portrait hole,  where they met up with (much to my dismay) Neville, before heading off to the trophy room.

When they got there, Malfoy was nowhere to be found.  As the minutes ticked by, a growing sense of unease spread through me.  _What is going on?  It would be too easy for something to happen here..._  I suddenly heard a voice in the next room, and a moment later, the voice registered as Filch.  _Great...Malfoy got him really well...the little skethn're (as for what it means...never mind...it's not very polite...)  Harry and the others apparently heard Filch as well, and started to sneak off.  I followed them, but when they heard Filch enter the room, they took off._

...Or at least tried to.  Neville tripped Ron and the two of them knocked over one of the suits of armor along the corridor.

_Oh that's just great.  Now I have to throw Filch off their tail....  Running after them, I turned down a different path, and when I saw that it was full of more suits of armor, I stopped and prepared another spell.  "Sylyb aethgwen hilauramy nin cauny... (Silver wind, hear my call...)  With that, a vicious wind raced through the corridor, and sent all the armor flying.  I turned and raced back, dodged around Filch as he came running, and tore down the path I saw Harry and the others go down._

_Where could they have gone?  The only door here is...that's not good...  I walked up to the door at the end of the corridor, and it flew open practically in my face._

I jumped to the side as Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville came running out like the hounds of hell were after them.  I stepped into the room, froze for a moment, and burst out laughing.  Standing in front of me, _was the hound of hell, Cereberos._

Turning around, I stepped out, closed the door, and ran back to the dorm.

I walked in, and was back in bed when I heard them come in and go to sleep.

_If I had known that the kid would be this much trouble, I wouldn't have volunteered so quickly... and with that thought, I went to sleep._

Sorry it took so long, but I've been rather lazy.  There's also the fact that I've been debating whether or not to actually continue this thing, but if I see that some people are actually still reading it, I'll keep writing.


	10. Confrontation

Well, there I was, sitting in the middle of a class full of amateur wizards who couldn't make anything float.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" ...Make that one person who could.

I heaved a huge sigh.  _Waaaaaay__ too boring._  A small grin slipped across my face as a few tricks came to mind.

An elbow hit me in the ribs as Leria hissed "That look never means anything good.  Don't do something you'll regret."

"Who, me?" I whispered back.  "What would I do?  Certainly not this."  Half the feathers suddenly rose into the air and started zooming around the room.

The class burst out laughing as Flitwick started yelling.  "Whoever's doing that, stop it right now!"

After a few more laps, the feathers settled back down to their original places, and Flitwick looked around at everyone, as if trying to see who did it.

As the class walked out (of course, he didn't figure out who did it.  I had a hunch that at least half the class thought that he did it to himself), I got elbowed again.  "I told you not to do anything."

"They needed the little break anyway."  I said with a grin.  "Besides, I was bored."

"........."

As we walked into the Great Hall I let out a huge groan.

"What?"

"Third row, second pumpkin, straight up."

Leria let out a groan of her own.  "What's he doing?"

"Waiting for the Hall to empty so he can fill his belly, I think."  In a small niche, a small red head could be seen, eyeing the bats hungrily. 

When the food appeared, I dove in, loading up the plate whatever happened to be nearby, but had barely touched the food when Quirell ran into the Hall, and stopped, gasping, in front of Dumbledore.

"Troll—in the dungeons—thought you ought to know."

_A troll?__  Those things are so stupid that they're only good for attracting attention...wait a second...._

The second people started to go to their Houses, I pulled Leria off to the side.  "I think I know what this is about.  Don't let the boy out of your sight.  I'll catch up with you later."

She nodded and pushed her way into the crowd.

I followed the rest, but at my first chance, I slipped away and called up a shroud of darkness and took off toward the "forbidden room".

When I reached the hall, I shifted into my "older" human form, armor and all, and waited, hidden for anyone.

I wasn't waiting for too long when, Severus Snape walked into the corridor.

"Pleasant evening, wouldn't you say?"  I said as I stepped into the open.

"Who are you?" He demanded.

"Wrong question.  I was thinking something along the lines of why are you here?"

"I am a teacher here!"

"Of course.  And maybe you're stupid too." Ignoring his furious glare, I continued, "Unless I'm much mistaken, the dungeons aren't up here."

As soon as the words left my mouth, his wand arm began to move.  In a flash, one of my knives was in my hand, and I threw it so that it clipped his wrist, and he froze.

"I'm in no mood for games.  The next knife kills."  I growled.  "Now, what are you doing here?"

"Not that it's any business of yours, but I was concerned that...someone would try to get in here."

"And I have a hunch that you have a name to go with the hunch.  Care to share the information?"  I heard quiet footsteps from around the corner, and with one last cold glare at Snape, ran toward the sound.  When I turned the corner, there was nothing to be seen, but a strange odor hung in the air.

"It seems that I can believe what you said...for now at least.  Be careful though.  Cross me again and I may not be so nice."  I walked past Snape, retrieved my knife, cloaked myself, and headed back toward Griffindor.

Sorry about not updating this one for so long.  Been kinda busy.  Well, I'll try to get this thing finished in the next couple months, so stay tuned.

And if you don't mind, leave a review for me.  I like to know what people think of my work.


	11. The Troll

Leria/Rynna's POV

_Keep an eye on them he says...wouldn't be too hard if they stayed with everyone else..._ I grumbled mentally as I slipped past another group of teachers. _Now, where did they go...?_ Sniffing the air, I caught a whiff of a rather unpleasant odor. /Ugh...troll...Wait! That's them./ A slight shift in the scent was enough to tell me that I was, at least, on the right track.

The sudden slamming of a door gave me a moments warning, and I ducked into a niche in the wall. A moment later, I heard a loud, sustained scream coming from down the hall.

_Great._ I ran down the hall, and stopped behind Harry and Ron as they attempted to open the door the scream was emanating from. _I can't stop them without revealing myself...I'll just have to wait for another chance._

When the door swung open, I saw Hermione cornered by the troll. _Now I have three to babysit._

I spent the next few moments dodging not only the troll, but also Harry and Ron as they tried to distract it, waiting for a chance to take it down without them noticing.

Fortunately, Harry and Ron managed to give me just such an opportunity a moment later. "Wingardium Leviosa!"

Just before the club hit, I pulled out a small needle and threw it into the troll's neck. It wobbled for an instant, then the club hit and it was all over.

After the three of them, Snape and Quirell had left, McGonagal scanned the bathroom. "I know one of you is here, so just come on out."

With a small smile, I released the cloaking spell, and stepped out into the open. "Yes?"

"I know you...aren't you in Griffindor?"

"Yep. Makes sense, doesn't it?"

"Why didn't you stop them?" She demanded.

"Two reasons. One, I didn't get here until after they had gotten inside. Stopping them would have meant giving myself away. Two, if he knew that there were people here with the sole purpose of keeping him safe, what do you think he would do? Admittedly, my knowledge of how you humans work isn't quite as impressive as I would like, but I think he would become far more reckless if he knew that the two of us were here to keep him out of harms way."

"He seems reckless enough already." She said dryly.

"My point exactly. Oh, by the way, what are you going to do about this thing? If you like, I could at least get it outside."

"No, that's alright. I can take it from here."

"Alright then. I'll be heading back to Griffindor as well. I just need something from this brute." I walked around to its neck, and then probed for the needle. When I found it, I slipped it out of the thing's neck, and slipped it back into its case, where another dozen just like it waited for their chance.

That evening...

"So, Ragnarok, did you manage to find anything?"

"Not much. Snape seems to be hiding something though. We both ended up at the third floor. If I can believe what he said - and there appears to be some evidence to support it - then there is another person who wants to get the-"

"Don't say it."

"Right. However, I was forced to confront him. I managed to draw a little blood while I was at it." I said with a rather feral grin.

"You what?" I groaned. "Do you EVER think before you do something?"

"Not like I had a lot of choice. It was either that or let him blast me. Anyway, it was only a small cut. Should be healed by tomorrow."

"Still..."

"Okay, enough about what I did. What happened with you?"

"Harry and Ron decided to go after the troll. I managed to help them take it down without them noticing, but it was a near thing. A few more seconds either way and I would have had to really step in."

"Well, all in all, a fairly unproductive night."

"I suppose so..."

"Well, better get to sleep. I get the feeling that we're going to get very busy sooner or later."

Linden/Ragnarok's POV:

I had the orb in my palm, and had just finished reporting to Shaeldar.

"This is troubling. If a corrupt human gets hold of the elixir of life, there'd be no stopping the damage that he could do."

"I am well aware of that, sir. But I do still have one spell that can stop one who has attained immortality."

"That is a last resort. Do not attempt it if there are any other options available."

"Understood. By the way, I'm planning to station Fyre up on the third floor. He can find me if anyone tries to get through again."

"Good idea."

"I thought so."

"Is there anything else you want to report?"

"Not at this time."

"Very well then. Get some sleep."

"Yes sir!" I said with a grin.


End file.
